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Development Info MCA was checking out Age of Decadence

VentilatorOfDoom

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Tags: Age of Decadence; Chris Avellone; Iron Tower

Some of you might be aware that Chris Avellone was checking out The Age of Decadence recently, according to his Twitter. So we've asked him for his impressions because I found it interesting what kind of impressions a guy like MCA would have of the game. Unfortunately MCA had already sent a few emails filled with his professional dev feedback to Vince D. Weller. Lucky for us, Vault Dweller decided to share MCA's feedback with the rest of us peasants.
I'm going to keep playing, but here are my first impressions (I downloaded and played up until the thugs mugging the innkeeper appeared, I'll give it another shot).

- Writing is strong.
- The loading screen text is too dense to process before the load is completed, which made me feel like I was missing something.
- Like the ranges of skills and customization.
- The opening sequence, while setting the stage, seems to be only a series of "click this one option" to advance. I thought the option range with the innkeeper was fine.
- It's not clear when you first exit the conversation with the innkeeper that you need to talk to him again in order to escape the room.
- May sound obvious, didn't realize I needed to equip a weapon to attack the thugs (thought I might be able to punch). Wasn't sure what was wrong until I spent the APs to equip the attack.
- The world feels like it has a lot of flavor, and I don't feel the Roman aspects alienate the player from it.
- I liked the Black Company quote.

I'm interested enough to keep playing, and I will, perhaps tomorrow or when I get back from my trip. Thanks for the heads-up.

...

I gave it another go now that I'm back from inXile work for the week, and gave the Praetor a try. Feedback:

- Still loved the writing. Chatting with the Preacher and outwitting the foreign traveler (name escapes me - S___?) to learn the secret of the smelter and the blue steel was cool, made me feel clever and rewarded for choosing speech skills.
- I felt like all the skills were getting good mileage as well in conversations.
- Liked the fact the intros were different for each class (didn't realize that previously).
- Did better in combat this time because I dumped everything into sword and made sure to equip myself properly - still, died in the first merchant ambush ("hey, come see my wares") with the two thug servants.
- Praetor: When I used etiquette with Antidas to get the armor, it wasn't clear to me where I was going next to get to Dellar (?), and when I got to Dellar, he didn't give me any armor, even though it seems to have been given to me, I wasn't sure where I was notified when that happened.
- I was confused what I was doing with Linos when I jumped there from Antidas.
- The jumping back and forth to NPC to NPC is alternately helpful and alternately confusing - helpful in that it would be hard to find them again, and confusing in that the "jumps" tend to break the flow rather than help it.
- I like the non-spoken intros to the NPCs that introduce them and their roles in the city, nicely done.
- Loved the starting outfits for each class.
- Was confused why I couldn't modify my combat skills at the outset.

Other comments (interface/technical):
- The Save/Load interface is confusing. The idea of typing in the name of the save game then hitting save feels odd on the same screen as the Load option.
- The lower case "m" in the font I think might be out of place - it always seems to leave a lot of dead space to the right of it whenever it's displayed in the game.
- If you can't "Continue" your game from the opening menu, it should be grayed out, if possible.
- I didn't like the nodes that would often have one extra line below the dialogue display, which breaks the flow: it forces you from selecting the lower options, to jumping up top to scroll down to see all the text, then moving the cursor back down to the numbered selection to make a choice. Part of the dialogue standards we have at the company is making sure that every node is displayable without the need to scroll whenever possible, it's more polite to the player and allows them to focus on the conversation easier (while I don't care for it, even breaking up the text with a [Continue] at the bottom is preferable because it's easier on the player to interact with).

I was enjoying it, though, thanks - I gave a shout out that I was playing it in my social feeds in the hopes it gives you guys more hits and notice.

So, this is how genuine MCA feedback does look like. What do you think about MCA's insights?
 

Menckenstein

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That's awesome. I like getting raw (not filtered through bullshit promotional videos released by publisher) glimpses into the minds of developers. Sawyer's always good for that.
 

Deleted member 7219

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Notice he only managed to do well in combat by dumping all his skill points into one stat. That is the same problem I had. Eventually I just gave up on combat completely and went the all-dialogue route, but it stopped me from playing through the other factions like the Imperial Guard. Iron Tower really need to make the combat easier. It isn't about the 'AWESOME' option, it is about basic survivability.

Also, when one of the best designers in the industry says he likes the writing, that is strong praise indeed. Slap yourselves on the back, IT.
 
Repressed Homosexual
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It's not to belittle VD, but it's not like there is much competition at all in the genre, since you can probably count the games with great writing on one or two hands.
 

Kz3r0

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It's not to belittle VD, but it's not like there is much competition at all in the genre, since you can probably count the games with great writing on one or two hands.
Nonsense, the quality of the writing has nothing to do with competition.
A poor writing remains a poor writing even if it's better than Ass Effect.
 

DarkUnderlord

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Menckenstein

Lunacy of Caen: Todd Reaver
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I think he's saying Sawyer != Mr. Chris Avellone. But then I'm not entirely sure you are saying that.

I guess I can see how what I wrote might confuse someone but... come on.

"Roger Federer was checking out Vince Dweller's amateur championship tennis match."

"That was awesome. I love getting glimpses into the mind of tennis pros. Nadal is always good for that."
 

Vault Dweller

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I only say that if VD doesn't reply to him the same way he did with people who said the exact same things here...
And how did I reply to all these people?

Notice he only managed to do well in combat by dumping all his skill points into one stat. That is the same problem I had.
I don't see it as a problem. It takes time to understand and master the system. Until you do, compensate your inexperience with more points.

Also, when one of the best designers in the industry says he likes the writing, that is strong praise indeed. Slap yourselves on the back, IT.
Indeed. I didn't expect it, to be honest.
 

Vault Dweller

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Not very well, if I recall correctly.
I'm afraid you don't. The only issue that generated heated debates was the combat difficulty. Everything else was discussed without much drama. Some people liked it, some people didn't, which is their right.

As for MCA's impressions, I agree with most points and not out of respect, but because he's right and there isn't much to argue about:

- the loading text IS too dense; never liked the way it came out but didn't have time to change it
- some vignettes ARE too uneventful and have only one dialogue "choice" - never liked it, discussed it on the Codex a long time ago, never found a better solution.
- not clear that you need to talk to the innkeeper - agree; I prefer the old way of starting in the dialogue mode.
- didn't realize that you need to equip a weapon to attack the thugs - :oh you!:
- had to put all points in swords - as expected
- died in the fake merchant ambush - as expected (for a new character)
- not sure where and when you get the armor - an excellent point
- teleporting is confusing - 50/50 with a chance of growing on you
- couldn't modify combat skills - no idea what he's talking about, asked to clarify
 

Infinitron

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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
- not clear that you need to talk to the innkeeper - agree; I prefer the old way of starting in the dialogue mode.

It's okay to start the game in dialogue mode as long as that dialogue doesn't immediately teleport you someplace else.
 

crojipjip

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Notice he only managed to do well in combat by dumping all his skill points into one stat. That is the same problem I had. Eventually I just gave up on combat completely and went the all-dialogue route, but it stopped me from playing through the other factions like the Imperial Guard. Iron Tower really need to make the combat easier. It isn't about the 'AWESOME' option, it is about basic survivability.

Also, when one of the best designers in the industry says he likes the writing, that is strong praise indeed. Slap yourselves on the back, IT.
did you try to use cheat engine?
 

VentilatorOfDoom

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Notice he only managed to do well in combat by dumping all his skill points into one stat. That is the same problem I had. Eventually I just gave up on combat completely and went the all-dialogue route, but it stopped me from playing through the other factions like the Imperial Guard. Iron Tower really need to make the combat easier. It isn't about the 'AWESOME' option, it is about basic survivability.

Also, when one of the best designers in the industry says he likes the writing, that is strong praise indeed. Slap yourselves on the back, IT.
did you try to use cheat engine?
Prosper has a point here. Give yourself 20 more points at char creation, it's OK. Like to cheatengine in the resources in ME2.
 

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